One of my favorite TV characters is Worf, Son of Moeg, In the Star Trek sagas. He is constantly having to choose between his biological people, the Klingons, and his adopted people, Humans, and the Federation he serves. He is in many ways conflicted, and is forced to do what is right in his mind, even if it costs him everything. The competing loyalties are always tearing at him.

To me, he represents much of what it means to follow Jesus. We as his followers are "adopted" in His family through the Cross and the Resurrection. But our earthly family around us cannot comprehend what that means. So we many times have to work with our "adopted" family, against the wishes of those who can't believe we can be so stupid as to follow a dead Carpenter from 2000 years ago.

Worf has to choose every day who he will follow. So do we. The battle is intense. His Klingon leader tells him: "All you have to do is reach out and take it!" The Enemy of our souls, Satan, is always telling us the same in our minds: "What is the matter with you?? This world is yours for the taking! You just need to reach out and grab it!"

Truthfully, following Jesus is hard work. He told us the cost would be high. It is far easier to follow Jesus during church on Sunday than the rest of the week. That is where Dirty Christianity is fought the most, in the mud and grime we face Monday through Saturday.

So be like Worf. He chooses wisely in the heat of battle. He is the son of Moeg. We choose wisely when we honor and follow the Son of God.